"We wanted to try something different to get people's attention," Leck said in a news release. "Stoughton is the originator of the coffee break, so what better reward for doing the right thing than a coffee brewer."

Organizers said the "Give Them a Break" crosswalk safety campaign combines Stoughton’s self-professed identity as the birthplace of the coffee break and literal braking, as in stopping for walkers at marked crossings.

The idea to give out tickets for a free Keurig single-cup coffee maker came when the city received free Keurigs from the company, Leck added.

Olson said she wants the coffee-maker promotion to reinforce positive behavior by doing something unique.

"It takes just seconds to brake for a pedestrian in a crosswalk," Olson said in the release. "Seconds that we [drivers] can spare in order to save lives."

The police department said the Give Them a Break campaign is planned from noon to 2 p.m. in downtown Stoughton.